This is how headphones have gone from being sound amplifiers to powerful specialized computers

In recent years, news related to intelligent glasses have been capturing more and more headlines. It seems that this type of technology is positioned as the successor, in the long term, of mobile phones, but it is obvious that it can be An aid element for many peopleboth in Spain and in other countries.

Something similar happens in the auditory field, where Hearing aids have suffered a real revolution in the last decade. They have gone from being analog devices of a certain weight and volume to devices that could well appear in a spy film.

We have been talking about this type of devices with Ignacio Martínez Romero, Director of Multioptics Audiologywho has told us how is the present of this technology, as focused on his company and what we should expect in the future. Of course, it is something important since according to the studies they contemplate More than 4,500,000 Spaniards has some type of auditory problem.

A barrier to tear down

Hearing problems, unlike vision, They have always had a certain stigma in Spain. People do not usually have complexes to wear glasses, but wearing headphones have always felt as something negative, perhaps as a sign that old age reached us.

According to Martínez, “stigma is decreasing considerably but does not just disappear. There are still psychological barriers between middle -aged adults. Statistics indicate that it takes average 7 years since a problem is detected until it is accepted that a hearing aid is needed.”

Luckily Technology is making these prejudices slowly decreasewith “factors that normalize the use, size and design by being more discreet. There is also greater social awareness about auditory health and generational change. In fact, the people who had a decade ago are now open to adopt technology, with 60 years.” It also helps that more and more “auditory devices approach the wearables, providing added improvements to what the headphones had before.”

This trend will be something that in the future will increase, Due to the aging of the population since young people can also develop hearing problems by excessive and continued exposure to too strong sounds. In fact, the Director of Multi -Picicos Audiology tells us that in the company “with more than 45 years of experience in visual health, we have always taken into account hearing health. It is a market, but we always have a first approach to the subject as a health problem.”

In addition, the expert indicates that he trusts “that The use of hearing aids will be normalized, reducing the stigma of carrying headphones. First, because of the impact on health awareness, and second because the devices are normalized as any other type of technology. ”

Advanced technology

The change that has been experienced in this industry is huge. We have gone from devices that amplified the sound they received, without filtering, to devices that are computers specialized in processing sound waveswith what that means. “The transformation of design into headphones has been radical. Two decades ago we had an analog technology. Currently technology is able to filter the sound and do not amplify everything as before, but those that the user needs.”

We are facing A greater change even than we saw in the jump from mobiles to smartphonesbecause in audiology “potentiometers were used before, microchips are now used, which helps to reduce size and less energy, so such large batteries are needed.” This also means that “the famous beep generated by the interaction of the microphone and speaker has corrected a lot in recent years.”

The advances we have seen in smartphones and smart headphones, with Frequency management, selective noise cancellation and other changes are also seen in headphoneswhich are “capable of raising the volume by frequencies, using special software and algorithms, improving consumption.”

These new headphones “have gone from being amplifiers to being computers, using chips designed for audio processing and improving the sound based on the sounds of the environment.” You can even use artificial intelligence to improve user experience. Martínez tells us that “all user configuration information can be used to train models that improve the operation of hearing aids, of course, complying with data protection and always with express permission from patients.”

Being advanced devices with Bluetooth connection, they can be used with mobile phones, using this technology and asha with Android and MFI (Made for iPhone) for iOS. In addition, recently Google has announced that Android will be compatible with aircasts and new hearing aids.

Increasing the possibilities

In addition to being able to solve the hearing problems of the people who carry them, New hearing aids have functions that improve day -to -day experienceeven above the people who do not use them. For example, they can be paired with other devices, such as televisions.

The multiptic executive tells us that many models “have applications that allow equalizing the sound from the mobile, collecting the sound from a specific direction. Some even allow geolocation adjustments And I believe that in the future there will be with biometric sensors, for detection of falls, for example. ”

“There are even manufacturers who are working to implement headphones within the IoT (Internet of Things) to communicate with other devices. ” There are currently models that allow “to go to a press conference and even if we are far, we can put a device near the speaker and we will listen much better. It makes a remote microphone. ”

When asked how it values ​​the approach of some consumer technology brands to this sector, such as Apple’s announcement that the Airpods Pro 2 may be used as hearing aids, Ignacio highlights that “Although there are convergences between headphones and headphones, as a medical professional I do not put them at the same level. Hearing aids have precise adjustments based on clinical tests and that greatly improves experience. “

“Hearing aids fit a clinical situation, but headphones do not approach customization and sophisticated amplification of hearing aids.” In addition, “companies need medical licenses to use headphones and that moves them away from headphones.” It could be, as it tells us, an alternative for some peoplePersonally, for users in initial stages, to break the stigma. But they could not replace hearing aids in all cases, much less in patients with moderate or severe losses.

Artificial intelligence

This market is no stranger to the changes that are taking place in artificial intelligence and, in fact, it is benefiting from it. The Director of Multioptics Audiology tells us that in his company they are “working with AI companies for product releases with this technology. In a few years AI will be integrated to improve the patient’s experience.”

This technology is able to “learn user preferences and adjust the parameters automatically depending on the context. You can even understand who the user is paying attention to improve the audition.” In his opinion “The main manufacturers will surely develop technologies to implement the current voice attendees of the large companies“Of course, we must be aware that” privacy and autonomy can be elements that slow the adoption of AI. “

More autonomy with less battery

Thanks to the improvements in the processors and the radical change of an analog technology to a digital, The autonomy of current headphones is much better than what we had a decade ago. Ignacio Martínez indicates that “rechargeable headphones came out about 7 or 8 years ago and at first it cost to change the habit, because people of a certain age do not like change. At two years we realized that this change was inevitable.”

The use is very similar to that of wireless headphones, with A load case that allows us to leave them at night and have an autonomy of up to 30 hours in some models and even make a fast charging of 30 minutes and have a battery for 4 hours of use. Currently the use of rechargeable headphones is 70%, with 30% that still works with batteries.

But technological advances do not occur only in autonomy. With hydrophobic nanotechnology the earwax and water are repeated and there are even models with IP68 certification. In addition, “they are very mechanically resistant. It is not only software technology, but many manufacturing advances are used, R&D…”

All these changes have made the price of hearing aids varied from the hand of technology, as has happened with the rest of the devices. However, prices are similar to a few years ago, taking into account above all the advantages they apply. Even the range of options is greater than 10 or 15 years ago, for sizes, aesthetic customization …